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botanyandbookends's reviews
154 reviews
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Short review: This is a hope-filled, inspiring book I will reread many times in the future.
Fleshier review: I have not read any of the wildly popular @johngreenwritesbooks books. Of course I’ve seen them everywhere and glowingly reviewed, but I never seemed to connect with them. I am a fan of the author, however. His quirky intellect is appealing and funny and always interesting. I am glad I picked up this book first. It is a collection of essays he’s written about a wide variety of subjects. I often thought of This American Life as I absorbed the pages.
• • •
“I remember when my son was about two, we were walking in the woods one November morning. We were along a ridge, looking down at a forest in the valley below, where a cold haze seemed to hug the forest floor. I kept trying to get my oblivious two-year-old to appreciate the landscape. At one point, I picked him up and pointed out toward the horizon, and said, “Look at that, Henry, just look at it!” And he said, “Weaf!” I said, “What?” And again he said “Weaf”, and then reached out and grabbed a single brown oak leaf from the little tree next to us. I wanted to explain to him that you can see a brown oak leaf anywhere in the eastern United States in November, that nothing in the forest was less interesting. But after watching him look at it, I began to look as well, and I soon realized it wasn’t just a brown leaf. It’s veins spidered out red and orange and yellow in a pattern too complex for my brain to synthesize, and the more I looked at the leaf with Henry, the more I was compelled into an aesthetic contemplation I neither understood nor desired, face-to-face with something commiserate to my capacity for wonder. Marveling at the perfection of that leaf, I was reminded that aesthetic beauty is as much about how and whether you look as what you see.”
• • •
Sidenote: Audio listening is great. My physical copy is marked by notes and underlines but I enjoyed hearing Green’s voice narrate these beautifully compelling stories.
"You can't see the future coming - not the terrors, for sure. But you also can't see the wonders that are coming, the moments of light-soaked joy, that await each of us."
Fleshier review: I have not read any of the wildly popular @johngreenwritesbooks books. Of course I’ve seen them everywhere and glowingly reviewed, but I never seemed to connect with them. I am a fan of the author, however. His quirky intellect is appealing and funny and always interesting. I am glad I picked up this book first. It is a collection of essays he’s written about a wide variety of subjects. I often thought of This American Life as I absorbed the pages.
• • •
“I remember when my son was about two, we were walking in the woods one November morning. We were along a ridge, looking down at a forest in the valley below, where a cold haze seemed to hug the forest floor. I kept trying to get my oblivious two-year-old to appreciate the landscape. At one point, I picked him up and pointed out toward the horizon, and said, “Look at that, Henry, just look at it!” And he said, “Weaf!” I said, “What?” And again he said “Weaf”, and then reached out and grabbed a single brown oak leaf from the little tree next to us. I wanted to explain to him that you can see a brown oak leaf anywhere in the eastern United States in November, that nothing in the forest was less interesting. But after watching him look at it, I began to look as well, and I soon realized it wasn’t just a brown leaf. It’s veins spidered out red and orange and yellow in a pattern too complex for my brain to synthesize, and the more I looked at the leaf with Henry, the more I was compelled into an aesthetic contemplation I neither understood nor desired, face-to-face with something commiserate to my capacity for wonder. Marveling at the perfection of that leaf, I was reminded that aesthetic beauty is as much about how and whether you look as what you see.”
• • •
Sidenote: Audio listening is great. My physical copy is marked by notes and underlines but I enjoyed hearing Green’s voice narrate these beautifully compelling stories.
"You can't see the future coming - not the terrors, for sure. But you also can't see the wonders that are coming, the moments of light-soaked joy, that await each of us."
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abyss of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, and enfolding the body in it’s soft, close embrace.”
i often see comments in the reviews of this book mention how scandalous it was for the time it was first published (1899). i submit, it is still a subject minimally discussed with a level of seriousness and introspection. i also believe the topic is often misunderstood.
the piety of the time latches on to the main character’s infidelity when in truth, her affairs were a side subject to her primary desire, that of personal freedom and self-discovery.
while Mrs. Pontellier’s marriage was traditionally domestic, her husband (who was often gone due to business traveling) was attentive to the children and indulgent to his wife when he was present. yet this was not the life Edna desired (once referring to marriage as the most lamentable spectacle on earth.)
she married because it was the correct thing to do. the accepted norm. yet she was still childlike in her thinking and life experiences. she had not yet discovered her own mind. she had not yet formed her own opinions. she had not yet…awakened.
this is the second time i’ve read The Awakening and each time it has felt deeply melancholy. but i would challenge you to read and re-read this classic at various times throughout your life. it hits a little different each time.
still today, a woman’s desire for independence and/or a desire to not marry or not have children is a challenging topic of discussion in society. even more difficult, her discontent in these things after having already committed to them.
“…if one might go on sleeping and dreaming - but to wake up and find - (sigh), perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.”
for a very long time Mrs. Pontellier was afraid to swim and needed someone nearby. but when she finally learned how to properly outstretch her arms wider and wider, propelling herself forward, she swam deep into the waves, further than she ever had before. she longed to swim out beyond the crowd, alone, to hear nothing but the sounds of the sea.
self-discovery (divorcing ourselves from our parents way of thinking and from our childhood ways) will happen. ideally this is a process that occurs in our early twenties before life commitments are made. but if they are delayed for any reason, the awakening might happen at a complicated time. we quip during girls nights that we wish these kids would just give us a moments rest or that our spouses would leave us alone. but do we openly discuss what happens when our minds are awakening to ideals and dreams that feel too late to embrace?
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is a part of classical literature not because of its controversy in 1899 but because it holds common truths found in and wrestled with in the aught lives of today.
i often see comments in the reviews of this book mention how scandalous it was for the time it was first published (1899). i submit, it is still a subject minimally discussed with a level of seriousness and introspection. i also believe the topic is often misunderstood.
the piety of the time latches on to the main character’s infidelity when in truth, her affairs were a side subject to her primary desire, that of personal freedom and self-discovery.
while Mrs. Pontellier’s marriage was traditionally domestic, her husband (who was often gone due to business traveling) was attentive to the children and indulgent to his wife when he was present. yet this was not the life Edna desired (once referring to marriage as the most lamentable spectacle on earth.)
she married because it was the correct thing to do. the accepted norm. yet she was still childlike in her thinking and life experiences. she had not yet discovered her own mind. she had not yet formed her own opinions. she had not yet…awakened.
this is the second time i’ve read The Awakening and each time it has felt deeply melancholy. but i would challenge you to read and re-read this classic at various times throughout your life. it hits a little different each time.
still today, a woman’s desire for independence and/or a desire to not marry or not have children is a challenging topic of discussion in society. even more difficult, her discontent in these things after having already committed to them.
“…if one might go on sleeping and dreaming - but to wake up and find - (sigh), perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.”
for a very long time Mrs. Pontellier was afraid to swim and needed someone nearby. but when she finally learned how to properly outstretch her arms wider and wider, propelling herself forward, she swam deep into the waves, further than she ever had before. she longed to swim out beyond the crowd, alone, to hear nothing but the sounds of the sea.
self-discovery (divorcing ourselves from our parents way of thinking and from our childhood ways) will happen. ideally this is a process that occurs in our early twenties before life commitments are made. but if they are delayed for any reason, the awakening might happen at a complicated time. we quip during girls nights that we wish these kids would just give us a moments rest or that our spouses would leave us alone. but do we openly discuss what happens when our minds are awakening to ideals and dreams that feel too late to embrace?
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is a part of classical literature not because of its controversy in 1899 but because it holds common truths found in and wrestled with in the aught lives of today.
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry
I wish I could remember who
recommended this book. It was one of
those if-you-liked-this-book-then-try-this-
book type of posts. I can't remember who it was but I'd love to thank them. THE UNLIKELY ESCAPE OF URIAH HEEP by H.G. Parry, is a wildly clever book with a myriad of characters to cheer on (and worry about.)
Charley Sutherland has had the secret
magical ability to bring to life the
characters he is reading about in books.
Trying to keep this unusual skill under
wraps has always been a challenge, but
one day, while teaching English at the
university, the appearance of Charles
Dickens' character, Uriah Heep, brings a
series of events that threaten to change
the real world around Charley. It soon
becomes evident that there is someone
else in the real world with Charley's same skills - but are they using those skills for
good or destruction? To a book lover's
delight, literary characters come to life and
join forces to conquer foes from centuries
past while Charley struggles to find his
place in these colliding worlds.
Charley's journal entry at age 12: 'I don't
want to write about what happened today.
I'm sick of words. I'm sick of their
allusiveness and their sharpness and their
beauty and their heart. But if I don't write it
down then it will still be there in my head
and that would be worse. So I will set it
down in the plainest words possible and
rob it of its power.’
Reading this book brought back the
absolute thrill of delving deep into a work
of fiction as a kid. The pure entertainment,
wild imagination, and utter escape from
reality. If you are a lover of books and
literature, grab this tale and lean back into
the pure enjoyment of reading.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
'We've been married
for four years now and I'm constantly
amazed at how long she can think over her
own feelings, working at them patiently,
until she's straightened out the knots and
tangles and can lay them out in words.'
I wish I could remember who
recommended this book. It was one of
those if-you-liked-this-book-then-try-this-
book type of posts. I can't remember who it was but I'd love to thank them. THE UNLIKELY ESCAPE OF URIAH HEEP by H.G. Parry, is a wildly clever book with a myriad of characters to cheer on (and worry about.)
Charley Sutherland has had the secret
magical ability to bring to life the
characters he is reading about in books.
Trying to keep this unusual skill under
wraps has always been a challenge, but
one day, while teaching English at the
university, the appearance of Charles
Dickens' character, Uriah Heep, brings a
series of events that threaten to change
the real world around Charley. It soon
becomes evident that there is someone
else in the real world with Charley's same skills - but are they using those skills for
good or destruction? To a book lover's
delight, literary characters come to life and
join forces to conquer foes from centuries
past while Charley struggles to find his
place in these colliding worlds.
Charley's journal entry at age 12: 'I don't
want to write about what happened today.
I'm sick of words. I'm sick of their
allusiveness and their sharpness and their
beauty and their heart. But if I don't write it
down then it will still be there in my head
and that would be worse. So I will set it
down in the plainest words possible and
rob it of its power.’
Reading this book brought back the
absolute thrill of delving deep into a work
of fiction as a kid. The pure entertainment,
wild imagination, and utter escape from
reality. If you are a lover of books and
literature, grab this tale and lean back into
the pure enjoyment of reading.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
5.0
For every writer, every literature enthusiast. For those who dream New York City dreams.
The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book was as expected. An easy-going historical fiction with love at its center. While a mix of loss and hope, the ending was a bit schmaltzy, but I’m a bit cynical about schmaltz so maybe it was just me. Ha. A nice, all-around, easy start to 2022 reading.
Dangerous Refuge by Elizabeth Lowell
I didn't make it beyond the first few chapters. The story was good but the sexual references seemed cheap, like the author didn't trust the story enough to have legs of its own.
I became disappointed and moved on to the next book on my nightstand.
I became disappointed and moved on to the next book on my nightstand.